Professional Builder’s 2012 Housing Giants Rankings

By Professional Builder Staff May 6, 2012

Source:  http://www.housingzone.com/awards-giants/professional-builders-2012-housing-giants-rankings

Buying a home is not a decision to be taken lightly. Personal finance gurus warn against purchasing unless you plan to keep it for a minimum of five years and, since the housing bubble burst, many say it’s best to buy only if it fits your lifestyle – not your investing portfolio.

For first-time home buyers shopping for a permanent, full-time residence, it’s advice to heed. But say you do simply want a place to park some of your hard-earned money, perhaps a fixer-upper you could occupy for a few years or maybe a house you believe you could rent out right away and easily oversee?

You wouldn’t be alone: investment-homes sales jumped 64.5% from 2010 to 2011, with investors making up 27% of all single-family, condo and co-op purchases last year, according to the National Association of Realtors.  And it’s no wonder why. Home affordability is at the highest level ever in the 42 years that NAR has been tracking it. Nationally, home prices are down more than 30% from their 2006 peak. Mortgage rates hover near all-time lows, with 30-year fixed loans just under 4%. And while the 10-year Treasury note yields around 2% and a 1-year CD an even stingier 1% or less, housing investments, specifically homes purchased as rental properties, return a 6.3% yield on average, according to Goldman Sachs.

So you have cash or financing to make a purchase, you’re aware of the responsibilities that come with homeownership, and despite the woes continuing to hinder a full-on housing market recovery, you believe in brick and mortar investments. Now comes the tricky part: where to buy that house.

“A lot of what we read is national but you have to take housing down to the local level and look at the reasons why a market may be turning around, may be a good place to buy,” says Steve Berkowitz, chief executive of Realtor.com, a Campbell, Calif.-based home listing site.

10. St. Louis, MO

Median List Price: $159,000 (down 0.5% y-o-y)

Inventory Level: 12,819 homes (down 17% y-o-y)

Median Days On Market: 103 days (down 11% y-o-y)

Price Drop From Peak:14.3%

Unemployment Rate: 8.9%

Source: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mhj45hlfg/10-st-louis-mo/#gallerycontent

Interestingly, the most competitive cities — the least expensive ones for businesses — tend to have the lowest economic production among the cities covered in the report. While, for the most part, the least competitive cities — because they are most expensive — are also the cities with the highest gross domestic product……

And Ranking at #7

St. Louis, Mo,
 - GDP: $125.22 billion
 - Unemployment: 8.4%
 - Median Income: $50,913

St. Louis’s competitiveness, according to the KPMG report, arises from its low factory lease costs and cheap electricity. Tax Foundation Ranked St. Louis 14th best among 51 cities for taxes conducive to new businesses. According to KPMG, the city has burgeoning aerospace, biotech and telecom industries. In addition, the metropolitan region is among the five cheapest for green energy, auto manufacturing and agri-foods business, with the lowest electricity costs in each of these sectors across all 27 U.S. metropolitan regions.

Read more - Best American Cities for Business – 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/2012/04/04/best-american-cities-for-business/#ixzz1rB5WyTO0

Tuesday, February 07, 2012 : 18 Builders Earn Builder Partnerships Achievement Awards in Customer Satisfaction

The Builder Partnership Achievement Award (BPAA) was created to provide customer-centric home builders with third-party customer satisfaction validation from a credible source. To assure a high integrity process, Builder Partnerships put together a team of industry experts to effectively survey home builder customers, analyze the results, benchmark the applicants’ performance, and validate them for a BPAA achievement level.

The BPAA is not a contest, pitting builders against each other, but rather a validated benchmark that recognizes builders who develop great homes and relationships with their customers. The measurement is based on not only on a home buyer’s willingness to recommend a builder, but also the home buyer’s enthusiasm for their builder. The success of the BPAA program speaks for itself.  In just its second year, the BPAA applications grew 60 percent.

BPAA is awarded in two classifications “Customer Satisfaction” and “Highest Distinction in Customer Satisfaction.” Recipients will receive recognition at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Fla., during Builder Partnerships reception on February 7, 2012 with a trophy presentation. Builder Partnerships will profile a winner monthly, and the entire group will be presented in a feature article in Professional Buildermagazine.

The builders who earned Builder Partnerships Achievement Awards for Highest Distinction in Customer Satisfaction are:

• Knez Construction, Painesville, Ohio
• Wayne Homes, Uniontown, Ohio
• Northland Residential, Burlington, Mass.
• Consort Homes, Chesterfield, Mo.
• DSLD Homes, Denham Springs, La.
• HHHunt Homes—Raleigh Division, Richmond, Va.
• Maracay Homes, Scottsdale, Ariz.
• Schmidt Builders, Cincinnati, Ohio
• The Jones Company, Nashville, Tenn.
• True Homes, Monroe, N.C.
• Vantage Builders, Colorado Spring, Colo.

The builders who earned Builder Partnerships Achievement Awards for Customer Satisfaction are:

• Ryland Homes—Houston Division, Calabasas, Calif.
• Shaddock Homes, Plano, Texas
• M. Christopher & Company, Lucas, Texas
• Standard Pacific Homes, Irvine, Calif.
• HHHunt Homes—Hampton Division, Richmond, Va.
• HHHunt Homes—Richmond Division, Richmond, Va.
• Thompson Homes, Owensboro, Ky.

If you or your home building company would like to apply for BPAA 2012 validation, you may still do so until March 31, 2012. Contact Monica Wheaton at Builder Partnerships for more information. mwheaton@builderpartnerships.com

Source: http://www.builderpartnerships.com/Default/News/d51279fd-d925-428e-9816-9fe70064839d

For the month of October you can get these items included at no added cost to your new Townhome!

• Wood flooring in Kitchen/Dining/Powder and Foyer
• Granite kitchen countertops
• Pendant lighting above breakfast bar
• Micro/hood combination over range
• Upgraded Birch cabinetry
• 42” tall wall cabinets in kitchen for extra cabinet space
• Cabinet over the refrigerator

AND…

• $2,000 in closing costs!!!

Email:  Kstarling@consort-homes.com

or call (636) 561-2051

www.myconsorthome.com

*See Sales Manager for details. Offer valid ONLY on contracts written 10/1/11 – 10/31/11. Offer cannot be combined with other offers. Offer expires October 31, 2011.

Walk in closets, deck, rear entry garage, and READY TO MOVE IN! 

This is a brand new townhome floor plan in the beautiful Countryshire neighborhood. Craftsman architecture that creates an exterior appeal you can be proud to call home! Enjoy the playgrounds throughout the community, play on the sport courts, take a stroll on the walking trails or spend the summer relaxing at the pool. Consort Homes makes your decision to go Green easy by making Green standard with this Consort home. We’ve made the energy investment on your behalf to conserve resources, reduce waste, promote energy and water efficiency, and enhance indoor environment quality so your world will be a better place to live.

Call Kyle at 636-561-2051. 

Sales office is open Monday noon-5, Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm.  Countryshire is located at the intersection of Sommers Road and Countryshire Drive.  (between Hwy N and DD.)

1. Choice/Selection/Personalization – This is the biggest investment you will ever make – Why Not Have Your Home, Your Way?
 
2. Space – in addition to the typically more open floor plans found in newer homes – older homes don’t usually have the CLOSET or storage space that newer designs have.
 
3. Design – the latest, greatest floor plan designs accommodate how people live TODAY, not yesterday. For example – do you ever use your formal dining room?? Huh? Do ya?
 
4. Less Maintenance – new homes have BRAND NEW operating systems, like plumbing, HVAC, etc…and usually don’t require maintenance until years down the road.
 
5. Energy Efficiency – New Homes are typically somewhere in the neighborhood of 50%+ more efficient* on energy bills! *varies by house and lifestyle, of course
 
6. Modern Conveniences – New homes have the latest new appliances, new windows, new product technologies, and are often built in locations near the latest and greatest of everything. 
 
7. New = Built to CURRENT Codes – not the Codes of many years ago – meaning that some issues that could have been considered OK when it originally passed inspection – are now no longer acceptable building standards.
 
8. WARRANTY – New Homes usually have a WARRANTY.  Meaning – usually you have 1 year to address any issues that don’t seem right with your builder – and they will come and fix them for you.  No hiring contractors.  In addition, for up to 10 years (our warranty is 1-10) you have coverage on any STRUCTURAL items.
 
9. Emotional Factor - The fact that you are the one and only person who’s ever lived in this home.  It’s YOURS and yours alone…built for you…to your specifications.

10. PRICE – Although a new home may be slightly more on the front end – in the long run – you’ll save $ on energy bills, operating costs, and maintenance while you live there!
 
11. TIME – Your time is valuable.  Would you rather spend your weekends doing maintenance – or enjoying your new home?
 
12. Enhanced Electrical Systems for today’s lifestyles – Now that we all have computers, microwaves, etc…some of the eleactrical systems found in older homes are simply not sophisticated enough to handle today’s modern technology.
 
NEW can save you thousands of dollars for years to come in peace of mind, comfort, and energy savings!

Source: www.livejones.com

ST. LOUIS, May 14, 2011 –   Consort Homes welcomed Patricia Davis to its sales team in mid-April and is definitely capitalizing on the veteran professional’s 24 years of new home sales experience in major markets spanning the country from the East Coast to Colorado.

Thoroughly familiar with the St. Louis region, Davis has been assigned the role of community sales manager for three of Consort’s residential developments – Stone Creek and Windcrest, both in Arnold, and Seckman Crossing in Imperial.

Davis’ office is located at Stone Creek, which is open daily and enjoys a private setting off Jeffco Boulevard, 1.5 miles south of Hwy. 141 and just east of I-55.  Now half-sold, Stone Creek offers buyers an outstanding selection of walk-out and ingrade homesites and 17 single-family home designs, starting from $209,990.  Eight represent the builder’s popular Hometown Collection; nine are from the upscale Heritage Collection and include a standard 3-car garage.

The combined portfolios showcase ranch and multi-level plans with three to four bedrooms and 1764 to 3215 square feet of living space.  Of particular interest to today’s buyers, Consort Homes is the only volume builder in St. Louis to provide the energy-efficiency and added comfort of 3rd-party-certified “green” homes in all of its communities.

Visitors to Stone Creek will find the site humming with activity.  A new display model is under construction and scheduled for completion by mid-summer.  The 2490-square-foot “Sheridan” is a

4-bedroom two-story from the Hometown Collection with a central staircase, wonderfully open first-floor layout, and a bonus room on the upper level.

Also available for viewing is a market home version of the Sheridan, set on a large homesite and ready for immediate occupancy, priced at $278,300.   In addition, Stone Creek’s current display – a stunning,

4-bedroom “Livingston” ranch – has just been listed for sale at $270,000.

Off Old Lemay Ferry Road, midway between I-55 and Hwy. 21 in Imperial, Seckman Crossing is open for viewing from 1:00 to 4:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.  Consort’s 16 Hometown and six Heritage designs start from the low $180’s and are beautifully suited to Seckman Crossing’s generous homesites.  Public education is provided by the highly rated Seckman School District, and two market homes – a “Cheshire” ranch and a “Camden” two-story, both offered for $195,000 – are move-in-ready

Just 3/4-mile from Stone Creek, Windcrest is an intimate residential enclave that features a variety of

2-story plans on easy-to-manage homesites, with rear-entry 2-car garages and economical pricing from the $140’s.  A 3-bedroom “Dover” has been halted at the drywall stage, allowing the future owners of this charming market home to personalize the interior.

For detailed information on any of these Consort Homes neighborhoods, visit www.consort-homes.com, or contact Davis at Stone Creek (636-282-1963).

Contact:  Barbara Wilson

               MIND OVER MARKETING

               636-398-4891

               mindovermarketng@aol.com

Bankrate.com recently featured a range of tips for first-time sellers to help them stay competitive in today’s real estate market. Here are some things you may want to discuss with your sellers:

• Pricing a home competitively from the beginning is important. “Your largest number of showings will occur in the first two to three weeks,” says Mark Ramsey, broker with the Ramsey Group/Keller Williams Realty in Charlotte, N.C. “The (multiple listing service) systems and the Internet tend to drive the majority of showings.” That’s why real estate experts stress that it’s important sellers get a competitive, realistic price from the start.

• Consider sweetening the deal. Sellers may be able to lure more buyers by offering some extra incentives, whether that’s leaving that top-of-the-line gas clothes dryer or other items that would be difficult to move, like the two wall-mounted, flat-screen TVs. The perks may add a little extra to attract buyers and become extra selling points too.

• Make sure the home is show-ready and in move-in condition. In smaller homes, for example, clutter can mean the difference between cozy and cramped, experts say. Be sure the sellers keep homes clean and clear of clutter, particularly kitchen and bathroom countertops that tend to accumulate personal items that can hamper showing the home’s features.

However, make sure sellers don’t go to the other extreme and clear away too much.

“Don’t neutralize it so that it’s sterile,” says Pat Vredevoogd Combs, vice president of Coldwell Banker AJS Schmidt in Grand Rapids, Mich., adding that small mementos and photos help make a house feel like a home.

Real estate experts also stress the importance of sellers’ getting a home in move-in condition–such as fixing all repairs and replacements–before it is even listed.

“From a presentation standpoint, you want them to feel it’s turnkey — ready to go,” says Mark Ramsey, broker with the Ramsey Group/Keller Williams Realty in Charlotte, N.C. “Because your competition is doing that. In this market, it’s not just a price war but a beauty contest at the same time.”

Source: “7 Tips for the First-time Home Seller,” Bankrate.com (June 2011)

 “We’re thrilled to team-up with Coldwell Banker Gundaker,” said Ed Petras, director of sales and marketing for Consort Homes. “Both companies are committed to re-energize this community and showcase its home options.”

 ”The opening of Carlton Glen exceeded our expectations,” said Jim Wannstedt, new homes account manager with Coldwell Banker Gundaker.  Coldwell Banker Gundaker represents Carlton Glen through a marketing relationship with Consort Homes.  “We had a great turnout for the grand opening and are receiving a wonderful response from potential buyers and Realtors.”

 The grand opening introduced home shoppers to two of Consort’s most successful design collections – the Heritage Series and the Hometown Series.  A third model series is currently on the drawing boards and expected to be unveiled at Carlton Glen later this year.

 In addition to the innumerable high-quality components built into every Consort Home at Carlton Glen, customers can select an outstanding array of optional amenities.  Consort Homes is the only volume homebuilder in St. Louis qualified as 100 percent “green,” providing the energy-efficiency and added comfort of a 3rd-party-certified “green” home to all of its owners as a standard feature.

 Homes in Carlton Glen are grand opening priced from the $150’s to mid-$200’s, and three stunning homes are available at various stages of completion for prompt move-in.  For driving directions, floorplans, and additional information, 636-327-4390, or visit www.consort-homes.com

 Working with Consort Homes is not new to Coldwell Banker Gundaker.  The company has been providing marketing services for more than 25 years to the owners of Consort Homes, who were former principles of the Jones Company.

 Coldwell Banker Gundaker, the leading residential real estate brokerage company in St. Louis, operates 24 offices with nearly 2,000 sales associates serving metropolitan St. Louis and east-central Missouri. Coldwell Banker Gundaker is part of NRT LLC, the nation’s largest residential real estate brokerage company.  NRT, a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation, operates Realogy’s company-owned real estate brokerage offices.  For more information, please visit www.cbgundaker.com.

source: http://interact.stltoday.com/pr/business/PR05251112076171